We have been slogging down the path of sharing the adventure of taking a project from Vision to Reality with you for the past 92 posts which have spanned over the past 21 months. Through this time period we have explored the unfolding of a special project by sharing challenging activities along the way. However, it is easy to lose sight of why we are even able to share this project with you.

I was reminded of that very fact today as I briefly visited the Chickasaw Visitor Center Site on our way to Tishomingo to explore the prospect of designing a new Welcome Center in what is considered the Capitol City of the Chickasaw Nation. Thus the reason we have a project to share is because of our Client.

So it would be good as we approach the final days of the Visitor Center to remember with you the Client that has allowed us all to take this journey by revisiting their journey.

The Chickasaw Nation is one of 38 federally recognized Native American tribes in Oklahoma. The native homelands of the Chickasaws are located throughout parts of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee. The Chickasaws were among several Native American tribes that were relocated to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma. But theirs was a part of a tragic tale in history known as the Trail of Tears. The Chickasaw Nation land is located in south central Oklahoma and its boundary covers 13 counties. The headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation is located in Ada, Oklahoma.

The Chickasaws have grown to be a progressive, forward thinking tribe that is focused on enhancing the life of the Chickasaw people. The Chickasaw Nation is also a great partner with the State of Oklahoma and its communities. As a sovereign government, they have become a successful enterprise having grown from 215 employees in 1991 to over 11,000 today. The Chickasaw Nation’s economic success is based on a variety of diverse and progressive enterprises.

FSB has been working with the Chickasaw Nation since 2003 on a wide variety of projects that have advanced the Nation’s service to its members and preserved and shared its culture with the world. The Chickasaw Nation Visitor Center, however, represents a project that reaches back into the early days of Chickasaw history in Indian Territory and their strong ties to nature and the elements. It’s a project that also tells a story of the Chickasaw’s bond with the national park land named in their honor, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.